Jennifer David Hesse's Blog, page 2

My Tarot Journey, Part I

Recently I surveyed my newsletter subscribers to get a sense of their interests and what brought them here, to my books and website. As I’m learning, my readers are a nice mix of straight-up mystery lovers and mystery lovers who also happen to be Wiccan or Pagan. This means that, for my blog topic this week, some readers may not be very familiar with it, while others will know way more about it than I do!

And what is “it”? Why, Tarot, of course.I’ve considered writing about my experience with tar...

Making the best of a strange situation

Photo by Scott Hesse, Chicago 5-12-20 Howdy! It seems like ages since I posted on my blog or sent a newsletter. I can’t blame the pandemic, though. I started neglecting these things well before the world went topsy-turvy. It was a simple matter of balancing priorities. I have a full-time job and a family, so when I have a manuscript due I have little time to spare. Once I turned in the manuscript (for Book #1 in the Flower House Mysteries, coming summer 2021), I had a little extra time… bu...

A little bit of inspiration

If January is for setting resolutions, February must surely be for reevaluating and RE-resolving. At least, that’s how it’s been for me.

A number of years ago, I started seeing Groundhog Day as a good time for self-reflection, for stepping back and looking at the big picture. For setting priorities. Maybe this is because of the movie Groundhog Day, which is all about realizing what really matters in life. Maybe it’s also because we’re deep in the midst of cold, gray winter—yet the days...

Feeling Grateful...

With Thanksgiving upon us, it's a perfect time to think about gratitude. As author Amy Collette says: "Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It's the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul."

I have so much to be thankful for. In truth, I probably don't acknowledge this often enough. In the midst of our daily challenges (or disappointments, irritations, heartaches, etc), it's all too easy to feel cynical. It's too easy to ignore our blessings and let the bad overshadow the...

Who will you be on Halloween?

Happy Halloween!
 
One of the most fun parts of this holiday is all the costumes, on kids and adults alike. (And pets too!)

Do you dress up?
 
In It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Lucy said: “A person should always choose a costume which is in direct contrast to her own personality.”
 
Ha! Lucy should have picked a smiling, good witch mask then, instead of the sullen, frowning mask which actually fits her own attitude better.

A FREE Mini-Mystery

I rarely take long breaks from writing, even when I'm between books. Whether I'm journaling, blogging, or playing around with new fiction ideas, my creative juices are always flowing. That's why I decided to start publishing fun little mini-mysteries on my website once a month!

These short stories will be in the tradition of solve-it-yourself whodunits like you might find in a magazine or on an interactive website. The word count is flexible, but I plan to keep them under 2,000 words.

By...

My First "Con"

Last weekend I attended "Cil-Con," a Central Illinois convention in the spirit of Comic-Con, with paranormal, metaphysical, and assorted other offerings. This was the first time I had a table at a full-day (two-day!) event like this. To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect.

...Except for costumes, of course. I expected a few people would be in costume, and they didn't disappoint! But, as for my part in the proceedings, I wasn't sure how it would g...

Fall Into...Spooky Time!

Happy September!

Is it spooky time yet? Usually, I don’t get into the Halloween spirit until October, but I’m feeling it early this year. Maybe it’s the cooler temps that appeared as if on cue this week, just in time for the end of my daughter Sage’s summer break. (She headed back to high school the day after Labor Day.) Or maybe it’s all the Halloween decorations proliferating in the stores. (Have you been to a Joann Fabric and Crafts lately? So much spooky cuteness!)

Or maybe it’s just...

Celebrate your special days!!

Another year older, another year... wiser? Maybe.

A year older, a year... bolder? I hope so!

I recently celebrated two milestones on the timeline of my life: my 48th birthday and my 30th high school class reunion. Yikes! My daughter asked me why I wanted to go to my class reunion. It's a valid question. A lot of my former classmates chose not to go. Some had prior commitments and some lived too far away. Some, no doubt, had personal reasons for not wanting to attend. Maybe they knew their...

The Magic of Mint

Ah, summer. We’ve been having a hot one here in Chicago, and I am LOVING it. The hot sun and warm nights... The lightning bugs and cicadas... The weekly farmers markets and a chance to have treats that are best enjoyed on a hot day—like sno-cones, popsicles, and frozen grapes. Some people like to complain about the heat, but not me. (I like to complain about the frigid air conditioning! Lol.) I didn’t plant a vegetable garden this year, but I do have herbs in the backyard: basil, sage, and...